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Multiplcation of two negative numbers |
2007-07-26 |
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From Brett:
Someone asked a question about multiplication and division of two negative numbers yielding a positive result here:
http://mathcentral.uregina.ca/qq/database/QQ.09.99/butler1.html I was not fully happy with the explanation b/c I want to give me daughter a real-world example and I can't seem to find one.
The following illustrates why multiplying negative numbers has become difficult to explain:
2 X 2 = 4
----(-4)---(-2)---0---2---4
In this example we start with 2 and then want 2 more of them.
When we move across the number line from 2 to our answer, which is four, we have moved only 2 units to the right.
-2 X -2 = 4
----(-4)---(-2)---0---2---4
In this example we start with -2 and then want -2 more of them.
When we move across the number line from -2 to our answer, which is four, we have moved 6 units to the right.
How can the phenomenon of multiplying two negative numbers being more powerful than multiplying two positive numbers be explained?
-Brett
Answered by Stephen La Rocque and Harley Weston. |
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